Wedlock Cake Murder (A Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Book 12) Page 4

  Nikki smiled. “I just got done making some special truffles. They are cooling right now. Can you come back in an hour? I will have them boxed and ready for you.”

  “Thank you so much.” The young man beamed. “I thought some designer chocolates would go well with the engagement ring.”

  “Designer chocolates?” Nikki asked. Tori coughed nearby. Nikki turned to her.

  “What do you know about designer chocolates?” Nikki asked Tori. Tori blushed a little.

  “I may have added a hashtag to your social media,” Tori said.

  “What are you talking about?” Nikki asked.

  “Here, I’ll show you,” the young man said. He pulled out his phone and showed Nikki her website. There was a section for hashtags and chocolates, homemade, Maple Hills, and others were already listed. Nikki looked closely. #designerchocolates was now on the list.

  “It is a correct description,” the young man said. “They are homemade and bumped up a few levels from regular homemade chocolates. And, since you won the chocolate contest, you have the credibility to stand behind that claim.”

  Nikki rolled her eyes. “Fine, it can stay on the webpage,” Nikki said. “But next time, please run it by me before changing my website,” Nikki told Tori. Tori agreed. The young man said he would be back for the truffles. When he left, Nikki told Tori she would have to arrange the truffles for the young man.

  “And give him a gift card for the shop since I did not have the truffles here when he wanted them,” Nikki added. “And wrap them in the deluxe gold gift wrap.”

  “Okay,” Tori replied.

  “I should be getting over to Hawk’s office,” Nikki said to Tori and Lidia. They each gave Nikki a hug and wished her well.

  “I hope you find some leads soon,” Lidia told Nikki.

  “I do too,” Nikki replied. She left the chocolate shop with two cups of coffee. Nikki shook her head and thought, designer chocolates? She put the coffees in the car cup holders and drove to Hawk’s office. On the way, Nikki’s mind wandered again. She thought about where they would live after they were married. Hawk’s house was too small for them and Hawk did not want to move into Nikki’s house. Nikki realized they would have to buy or rent a house. Somehow, this had not yet crossed Nikki’s mind, and she gasped. She did not want to purchase another house. Nikki calmed herself down and figured they would work out the details about where they would live later. Suddenly she had an idea. She turned the car around and went back to the shop.

  “I thought you were going to the station,” Tori said.

  “I was, but I just had an epiphany,” Nikki replied, rushing into the kitchen. She pulled out her wedding notebook and scribbled out the design ideas. She started sketching and a few minutes later was very happy with the results. Tori came in to restock the shelves and wrap the truffles. She gasped.

  “That is a beautiful idea. Are you sure you can make it?” Tori asked Nikki.

  “Absolutely,” Nikki said. “The best part is that I can use what I have here. I don’t need to buy anything else. Now I just need to find the time to make it.” Tori laughed. She pulled out the chocolate pretzels.

  “The truffles need a few more minutes,” she told Nikki. Nikki agreed.

  “Can you take care of them and get that box ready if I go over to Hawk’s office?” Nikki asked Tori.

  “Yep,” Tori replied. Nikki thanked her and left. The coffee was still warm as Nikki drove to the station. This time, she made it to Hawk’s office.

  “Here you go,” Nikki said, handing Hawk a cup of coffee. Nikki could tell Hawk was stressed out. She went around the desk and put her hands on Hawk’s shoulders. She rubbed his shoulders and he tilted his head back.

  “That feels wonderful. Thank you,” Hawk said. “And thank you for the coffee.”

  “Have you heard back from forensics?” Nikki asked.

  “Not yet. They are still looking for anything that can help us,” Hawk replied. Nikki stopped rubbing his shoulders and gave Hawk a quick kiss.

  “Well, let’s keep going through these files,” Nikki said. Hawk sighed and Nikki sat down. She opened a file and looked through. This one was about a case where the chief had arrested a man for stealing some cars. The man had just gotten out on parole last week.

  “How about him?” Nikki asked Hawk. Hawk looked at the file. He shook his head.

  “This is Pete,” Hawk said. “He now works for the police in their mechanics shop. Dad got him the job and he worked part time here while he was still in jail before he got paroled. He is now able to work full time for us. He loves my dad and is grateful to him for helping him go straight.”

  “That was nice of your father to get him that job,” Nikki said. “I am not surprised, though. Your father is a nice man.” Hawk smiled.

  “That’s part of the reason it’s so hard to come up with leads. My dad might be gruff on the outside, but he is soft on the inside. If you prove yourself to him, he will have your back forever,” Hawk said. Nikki nodded. She had learned that lesson. While the whole town was against her at one time, the chief had stood up for her and had her back. Nikki was grateful for the chief’s kindness. She looked through some more files.

  “Are these the last of them?” Nikki asked Hawk.

  “Not nearly,” Hawk replied. “We have several more boxes left.” Nikki sighed. She did not give up, though. Nikki knew the chief would never give up when it came to her and she was not giving up when it came to finding Luke’s killer.

  Nikki looked through the rest of the files on her desk and pulled another box over.

  “What is this blue folder?” Nikki asked Hawk. All of the other folders were plain manila folders. This was a blue plastic folder.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe they ran out of regular folders,” Hawk said.

  Nikki opened the file. She gasped and started to laugh.

  “What is it?” Hawk asked.

  “Where did you get these files?” Nikki asked Hawk.

  “From my dad’s office,” Hawk replied.

  “Well, this one is different. It’s not a case file,” Nikki said.

  “What is it?” Hawk asked.

  “Come and see for yourself,” Nikki said. Hawk walked over and groaned. The blue plastic file contained pictures of Hawk when he was younger. There were pictures of him fishing with his father and pictures of Hawk when he was a baby. Nikki turned and looked at Hawk. He was blushing.

  “These are adorable,” Nikki said. There were not too many pictures of Hawk as a child in the chief’s house. Nikki had never asked about them, but she was happy to come across this treasure trove. Hawk picked up a picture. Nikki could see some tears at the corners of his eyes. Nikki stood up and looked at the picture. It was a picture of a beautiful woman holding Hawk on her lap. The chief was standing behind them in his uniform.

  “Is that your mom?” Nikki asked Hawk.

  “Yes,” Hawk replied.

  “She was beautiful,” Nikki said.

  “Yes, she was,” Hawk agreed. He put the picture back into the folder. Nikki took the folder and put it in her purse.

  “What are you doing with that?” Hawk asked.

  “I want us to look through it at home,” Nikki said. “I am sure there are some great stories that go along with these pictures.”

  “Okay,” Hawk agreed. “Now can we get back to work?” Nikki laughed and grabbed the next folder. She and Hawk worked for another half hour.

  “I might have something,” Hawk said.

  Nikki looked up. “What did you find?” she asked. Hawk showed her the folder and Nikki agreed it could be a lead. Hawk laid it to the side. Nikki and Hawk continued searching with a renewed vigor. Nikki found another folder that might be useful. Hawk found one more and they agreed that those were the most likely suspects. Hawk and Nikki had gone through all the files. Hawk grabbed the three files and they went to Nikki’s house to fill in the chief.

  Chapter Eight

  Back at Nikki’s house, Hawk showed
the chief the files they found. The chief agreed that those were good suspects. One of them had killed someone, and, according to Hawk and the chief, the others were also capable of murder.

  “How come that person is allowed to walk free?” Nikki asked about the person who had killed someone.

  “He was a juvenile at the time. He served his time and was released recently,” Hawk replied. “I am going to question all of the suspects tomorrow.”

  “I am going to go with you,” Nikki said. The chief smiled.

  “No, you are not,” Hawk replied.

  “What do you mean?” Nikki asked. “And do not tell me I have to make wedding plans, or I will call off the whole thing.”

  “That is not what I was going to say,” Hawk replied. “I am just concerned because everyone on our list has served time. These are hardened criminals. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “I can take care of myself,” Nikki replied. Hawk was about to say something else, but Nikki interrupted him. “I am going, and that is that. What time are we leaving?”

  Hawk looked resigned. “We can leave around ten tomorrow morning,” he said. “I want you to wear a bulletproof vest. No argument.”

  “Okay,” Nikki agreed. She did not think she would need a bulletproof vest, but if it made Hawk happy, she would wear one. Nikki and Hawk made dinner. Tori stopped by and told Nikki that the young man had returned.

  “He loved the designer chocolates,” Tori said.

  “Designer chocolates?” Hawk and his father asked.

  “I’ll tell you about it when we eat,” Nikki said. “I am glad he liked them.” Seth and the chief set the table and Hawk put the food out for everyone. They all sat down, and while they ate, Nikki told them the story about the young man. Hawk and the chief laughed.

  “Designer chocolates. What is this town coming to?” the chief teased.

  “Oh, and I almost forgot,” Nikki started. She got up from the table and grabbed her purse. She pulled out the folder and handed it to the chief. “I found this among the files.”

  “Thank you, Nikki,” the chief replied. “I wondered where these got to.”

  “I was hoping you could tell me some of the stories behind those pictures,” Nikki said.

  “What pictures?” Seth asked. The chief pulled out one of the photos and handed it to Seth. Seth laughed.

  “What are you laughing at?” Hawk asked.

  “Nothing,” Seth gulped. He handed the picture to Tori and she handed it to Nikki. Nikki almost spit out her tea.

  “Oh, this is priceless,” Nikki said.

  “Let me see that,” Hawk said. He grabbed the picture from Nikki. “Oh no. I thought I got rid of all these.” The picture was of Hawk as a teenager with spiked hair. He had on ripped jeans and a ripped shirt.

  “Was that for Halloween?” Nikki asked.

  The chief guffawed. “No! That was Hawk going through his punk rock phase.” Everyone laughed.

  “I think it’s cute,” Nikki said, taking the photo back from Hawk. Hawk blushed and looked down at his dinner.

  “After dinner I can go through these and tell you some more stories,” the chief said.

  “I would love that,” Nikki replied.

  “Don’t we have a case to solve?” Hawk asked.

  “Yes, but that can wait. Stories from your childhood trump any case, at least for tonight,” Nikki replied. After dinner they cleared off the table and Seth did the dishes. Then everyone sat back down again, and the chief told them stories of Hawk and Hawk’s mother. Nikki was glad for the break from the wedding and the case. Afterward, Tori went home, and everyone else went to sleep.

  The next morning Nikki and Hawk drove out of town and toward a farming area to talk to suspect number one.

  “I don’t think I’ve driven out this way since I have been here,” Nikki said.

  “I hope you haven’t,” Hawk replied.

  “Why not? The land looks beautiful,” Nikki said.

  “But the people around here are not,” Hawk said. “We are going to see Jim French. My father put him in jail for dealing meth. He was released two months ago. We have been keeping an eye on him, but, so far, he has laid low. He’s a nasty person, and it would not surprise me if he put a hit out on the chief. Do you have your vest on?”

  “Yes, I do,” Nikki said.

  “Okay. I have mine on, too. This stop is why I wanted you to wear it.” Hawk turned down a dirt road. After about a hundred feet the road was blocked by a massive pickup truck. Two large men with rifles stepped out. Hawk stopped his car and got out. He told Nikki to stay inside. Nikki rolled down her window so she could hear the discussion.

  “State your business,” the larger man said to Hawk.

  “I am here to see Jim. I do not want to cause any trouble, I just want to ask him a few questions,” Hawk said. The man got out his cell phone and made a call. He hung up and told Hawk to follow them. Hawk got back into his car and followed the truck down the road.

  “Do you have your gun?” Hawk asked Nikki.

  “Of course,” Nikki answered.

  “Take it out and put it into the glove compartment,” Hawk said.

  “Why?” Nikki answered.

  “Because they will search us. I want to go in unarmed so they know we just want to ask some questions,” Hawk replied. The pickup truck had stopped by a farmhouse. Hawk opened the glove compartment and put his pistol inside. Nikki put her gun next to his. They got out of the car and Hawk locked it. The two men came over and patted them down, then motioned Nikki and Hawk to follow them into the farmhouse. Nikki stayed close behind Hawk and noticed a few more armed men around the house. They went inside, and Nikki saw a man sitting at a table. He was about the chief’s age.

  “Hello, Hawk,” the man said.

  “Hello, Jim,” Hawk replied.

  “Are you going to introduce me to the lovely lady beside you?” Jim asked.

  “Nope,” said Hawk.

  “Fair enough,” Jim replied. “Have a seat.”

  “We’ll stand,” Hawk said. “Where were you the other day?”

  “You mean the day that deputy was killed?” Jim asked. Nikki would have been surprised except she knew how quickly gossip spread in Maple Hills.

  “Yes,” Hawk replied.

  “I was at church,” Jim said. “It is out of town.”

  “Excuse me?” Hawk asked.

  “You heard me. I have turned over a new leaf,” Jim said. “I started going to church while I was in prison. I got baptized and everything. I have checked in with my parole officer each week.”

  “If you are so reformed, why do you have armed bodyguards?” Nikki asked.

  “Good question, little lady,” Jim answered. Nikki cringed when he directed his stare at her. “I have them around for my protection,” Jim continued. “I stopped production and I have people who are not happy about that. I need protection from them. You know, former distributors. Former dealers and users.”

  “People whose lives you ruined,” Hawk said.

  “Now, I would not say that. I made something and they bought it. I did not force them to buy meth. They chose to buy it,” Jim said. Hawk shook his head.

  “I will need to know what church you went to,” Hawk said. “Also, you need to make sure all of your boys have carry permits or I will be paying you another visit.”

  “All of these guns are legal, and they all have permits,” Jim reassured Hawk. Hawk turned to go.

  “Tell your father I said thank you. If he had not arrested me, I might not have turned my life around,” Jim said.

  Hawk shook his head again and motioned for Nikki to leave in front of him. They got back to the car and put their guns in their holsters. Hawk drove away. He called a deputy and asked him to check Jim’s alibi.

  “I don’t believe for a minute that he turned his life around,” Hawk said. “But I didn’t see any equipment around that proves he is cooking again. If he quit, that will be good for the town.”

 
“I believe people can change,” Nikki said. “I don’t know if he has, though.”

  “We’ll see what the deputy finds out,” Hawk said as he drove back toward town. The next stop was the young man who had been arrested for killing his father.

  “He says that his father abused him, but the chief could not find any solid evidence of abuse,” Hawk told Nikki. “My father caught him red-handed with a knife over his father’s body. It was enough to put him away for ten years. He got out on parole last month, and he may very well want my father dead for putting him in prison.”

  They drove to a small house just outside of town. Hawk and Nikki walked up to the door. They heard a dog barking in the backyard. The door opened and a man in his mid-twenties answered.

  “Can I help you?” the man asked.

  “I am looking for Rafael Rodriquez,” Hawk said.

  “That is me,” the man said. Hawk introduced himself.

  “Where were you three days ago? I need an account of your whereabouts for the day,” Hawk said.

  “Would you like to come inside?” Rafael asked.

  “No, thank you. I can ask the questions out here,” Hawk replied. Nikki knew that Hawk did not want to put himself or her into a dangerous situation. The man who answered the door was clean shaven and seemed a bit shy. Nikki had to remind herself that he had killed his father.

  “Okay. I was working during the day and then I went to my girlfriend’s house,” Rafael replied after thinking about it for a few moments. “A couple of my friends were over, too. We were just hanging out watching the baseball game.”

  “Okay,” Hawk replied. “I will need your girlfriend’s and friends’ names.” Rafael gave them to Hawk along with their contact information. Hawk wrote the information down.

  “Do not skip town,” Hawk warned Rafael.

  “I won’t,” Rafael stated. “I have a girlfriend and a good job. I check in with my parole officer. I don’t want to mess anything up.” Hawk and Nikki went back to the car.

  “I believe him,” Nikki said.

  “Don’t be fooled by appearances,” Hawk warned.